But I guess to the Liberals...rules don't mean much! What a bunch of hypocrits!!!!!

Massachusetts Senate votes to fill Kennedy seat
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By Kevin McNicholas Kevin Mcnicholas – Tue Sep 22, 9:55 pm ET
BOSTON (Reuters) – The Massachusetts Senate voted on Tuesday to allow the governor to name an interim U.S. Senate replacement for the late Edward Kennedy and fill a key 60th seat for the Democrats during the healthcare battle.

The heavily Democratic state Senate passed the bill 24 to 16, following approval by the state House of Representatives last week. The bill will go back to both chambers on Wednesday for a final vote and then requires a signature from Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat who backs the legislation.

Patrick is likely to name a temporary replacement for Kennedy within days and is certain to pick a Democrat. That will return the party to the 60 votes it needs in the U.S. Senate to override Republican procedural hurdles, giving President Barack Obama a boost as he tries to get healthcare reform and other contentious legislation passed this year.

"All votes are crucial and the absence of that vote from Massachusetts would hurt those who are pushing for some form of health reform," said Paul Watanabe, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

"Certainly all the indications are that President Obama had pushed for this," he added.

Kennedy, who died in August from brain cancer, was a liberal champion in the U.S. Senate for nearly five decades. He made healthcare reform his signature issue as he carried on the legacy of his family's storied political dynasty.

Without an interim replacement, Kennedy's seat would have lain vacant until a January 19 special election of a permanent senator to serve through 2012, hurting Obama's plan to pass an overhaul this year of the $2.5 trillion healthcare system.

"I'm very, very pleased with the number of senators that endorsed this and saw the value and the need for this," state Senator Thomas Kennedy, who is not related to the late Edward Kennedy, said after the vote.

A separate resolution approved along with Tuesday's bill "strongly discourages" a temporary appointee to the Senate from running in the January 19, 2010, election.

KENNEDY'S WISH

U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts said the state legislators have given the state's congressional delegation the strongest possible hand for the short term.

"This is what Ted Kennedy wanted, what Governor Patrick and I wanted, and I firmly believe it's what people in Massachusetts want because big votes on everything from health care to climate change are being taken now, not in five months," Kerry said in a statement.

Kennedy had urged the state to name an interim senator upon his death, but the issue has divided Massachusetts Democrats.

The bill passed on Tuesday would reverse legislation the party pushed through in 2004 when it wanted to prevent a Republican governor from naming a replacement for Democratic Senator John Kerry if he won the White House.

The Massachusetts Republican Party called Tuesday's vote "a stunning example of Democrat hypocrisy".

They just make up the rules as they go along!!!!!!

Among names circulating for the interim appointee are former presidential candidate and ex-Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and Paul Kirk, a close friend of the Kennedy family and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Patrick may also ask Kennedy's widow, Victoria, if she would like the interim seat, though she is reportedly not keen.

Democratic contenders for the elected U.S. Senate seat so far include state Attorney General Martha Coakley, private equity investor Stephen Pagliuca and U.S. Representative Mike Capuano.

No Republicans have yet come forward for the primary.

09-25-2009, 08:33 AM

candleman

Indeed it is a very proud thing for the people of Mass.

Sometimes, we Americans forget that we are a Union of States. And each State sets it's own rules. And can change it's own rules anytime they want to. This is Democracy at it's best! Leaving an empty seat in the US Senate would have been a horrible thing for the residents of Mass. These fine people would not have been represented at the Federal level for several months, and no American deserves to be unrepresented.

This is a short term appointment. And if there is a Republican that is willing to run for this seat in the next statewide election, more power to that person!

The people of Mass. have stepped forward and now have complete representation in our United States Senate.

This indeed is a wonderful day for our American way of thinking.

09-25-2009, 10:41 AM

SiriusBuzz

I agree. The media is spinning this like they need to fill the seat for their agenda... what about filling the seat because its just the right thing to do?

09-25-2009, 11:08 AM

candleman

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriusBuzz

I agree. The media is spinning this like they need to fill the seat for their agenda... what about filling the seat because its just the right thing to do?

That's the point for me.

We NEED 100 Senators to be seated to get us through the war on terror, the economy, healthcare reform, cleaning up the environment, education, housing, and so much more.

I don't know why anyone wouldn't want our country to be fully represented in Congress.

09-25-2009, 11:50 AM

Havakasha

I also agree the seat needed to be filled but i have to admit there is hypocrisy on the Democrats part in this situation because i believe they blocked the Republicans from trying to do the same thing when Romney was
Governor.
Unlike "the grouch" i am an equal opportunity hypocrisy attacker. :D

Just Sirius. Of all the issues you picked to get that worked up over. Jeez.

09-25-2009, 02:47 PM

john

Hey dumbasses do you even know what happen before or read the whole post. You guys do realize the law was ORIGINALLY changed for Kennedy (under his suggestion) to stop Gov. Romney from filling the seat as soon as possible after the 2004 elections. So if they could wait then then why not now. You people are amazing.

Now are you going to tell me that that is not hypocritical, and wrong on so many levels it does not make you sick.

Good work, just sirius

and good god, you see what we are dealing with right.

09-25-2009, 02:51 PM

john

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havakasha

I also agree the seat needed to be filled but i have to admit there is hypocrisy on the Democrats part in this situation because i believe they blocked the Republicans from trying to do the same thing when Romney was
Governor.
Unlike "the grouch" i am an equal opportunity hypocrisy attacker. :D

Just Sirius. Of all the issues you picked to get that worked up over. Jeez.

A small correction the law was ORIGINALLY the way they wanted to change it back to. The democrats, CHANGED THE RULE in the first place in the begining. To stop Gov. Romney from filling the position as soon as possible. So the hypocrisy gos even deeper because the democrats were the ones that changed it in the first place to stop Gov. Romney from filling the position as soon as possible.

09-25-2009, 03:12 PM

SiriusBuzz

I wasn't arguing whether or not it was hypocritical. In fact I wasn't arguing at all. I am just saying that the seat should be filled.

09-25-2009, 03:24 PM

john

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiriusBuzz

I wasn't arguing whether or not it was hypocritical. In fact I wasn't arguing at all. I am just saying that the seat should be filled.

If it was not that important before then it is not now. Hey I dont see Sen. Bird stepping down because of this. You know how long it has been since he has been in office. The point is this kind of thing happens all the time. The democrats are playing politics here and not because of the importance of it. The CLEAR EXAMPLE of this is, they didn't think it was so important before and as a matter of fact CHANGED THE LAW, so that the post could not be filled as soon as possible.

Now if you are saying that it was that important then you have to say that every state rep. that voted to change the law in the first place should resign, right. THEY ALL ACTED AGAINST THEIR STATES BEST INTEREST.

09-25-2009, 03:32 PM

just sirius

Candleman

I respect your opinion...But...the people would have been represented in 90 days after the special election. That was the law in MA...after the Liberals changed the law in 2004 to prevent the exact thing that the gov is now doing...They changed the law at their convenience to keep Mitt Romney from appt. a Republican to the senate if John Kerry had been elected President...Now...they change the law back...at their convienence to allow their gov to name a replacement! I fully agree...the people deserve to be represented by someone that they ELECTED to the Senate...not by appt from the gov by changing the rules! You guys just cont to amaze me! Passing laws for political convienence is wrong...and after reading many of your posts to John...I thought you had a pretty good view of both sides...I guess i thought wrong!